Orchestral Musician – Career & Salary Overview

Overview:

Securing an orchestral position is the goal of many classical musicians. Although obtaining a job in this field is a difficult task, it can be extremely rewarding for those who cannot dream to do anything else but obtain a job in an orchestra.

There are several types of orchestras in the minds of professional musicians – professional orchestra, semi-professional orchestras, and amateur orchestras. Many musicians who obtain a job performing in any orchestra supplement their income with teaching, performing, studio session work, and other music-related jobs.

Salary

Varies widely, depending on the economics, location, and popularity of each orchestra. Here is a sample of ten general orchestra salaries.

All of the following are average starting salaries in the orchestra, according to my knowledge. Certainly, principals, the concertmaster, and of course the artistic director/conductor can earn far, far more.

As you can see, there are some orchestras that pay well. According to source no. 1, which is an article in the Star Tribune, only 20 orchestras pay better than 55k a year. 55k is a very good salary for a musician, but it might be difficult to raise a whole family on just that amount per year, which is why at least 75% of musicians employed by orchestras supplement their performance career with independent and college teaching posts.

However, like we see in Opera Cleveland’s orchestra, musicians are only paid per performance. This type of income caters only to those who desire to work in orchestras on a very part-time basis. Unfortunately, the majority of symphony orchestras in America are like this.

If you dream of nothing more than to play in an orchestra and absolutely believe you were meant to do it, then I encourage you to do two things. One, make a concerted and consistent effort to apply not just for American orchestra openings, but also European and Canadian ones as well. The classical music tradition in Europe is visibly powerful, and there are many orchestras in the nation that pay well. Certainly much higher than just 20 orchestras.

The Intriguing Link Between Colleges and Orchestras

A variety of colleges, universities, and conservatories have extremely strong affiliations and ties to top-tier orchestras. If this is truly the career path you desire, I strongly encourage you to pursue training at the college level with a teacher who either has connections to an orchestra or actually plays in an orchestra. Many of the top music schools in the US boast faculty that perform with these orchestras.

Here is a partial list of schools with excellent performance programs and their affiliations to top-tier symphony orchestras.

Boston Conservatory – Boston Symphony Orchestra

Boston University – Boston Symphony Orchestra

Carnegie-Mellon School of Music – Pittsburgh Symphony

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music – Cincinnati Symphony

Cleveland Institute of Music – Cleveland Symphony Orchestra

Colburn School – Los Angeles Philharmonic

Curtis Institute of Music – Philadelphia Orchestra

Eastman School of Music – Rochester Philharmonic

Indiana University, Bloomington – Indianapolis Symphony

Juilliard School – New York Philharmonic / Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Longy School of Music of Bard College – Boston Symphony Orchestra

Manhattan School of Music – New York Philharmonic / Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Mannes College of Music – New York Philharmonic / Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

New England Conservatory – Boston Symphony Orchestra

Northwestern University Bienen School of Music – Chicago Symphony Orchestra

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance – Detroit Symphony

University of Southern California Thornton School of Music – Los Angeles Philharmonic

My final recommendation, if your goal is to play in a major symphony orchestra, is to supplement your normal collegiate training with instruction from professors at the top summer music programs. Many members of major orchestras also teach at a variety of workshops and festivals. Some good summer programs for college-level musicians include the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, the Verbier Music Festival, and the Sarasota Music Festival, among countless others. I will be making lists for these very soon.

Comments

I realize that this is an older post, but I’d love for you to answer my question.

I am a sophomore in high school and I plan on becoming an orchestral trombonist (and with 4-6 hour practice days 2 times a week an 2 hour practice days 5 times a week, you could say I’m pretty dedicated). Money isn’t huge for me, but I would like to be able to comfortably support a family with what my future wife and I earn. So I was wondering:

How does the orchestral pay here in the States compare or contrast to that of orchestral pay in Germany, Italy, Austria, and Japan? Are the high-quality orchestras more abundant in the listed countries? Do the people of those countries appreciate classical music with more fervor than they do here in the States?

Thanks in advance, and pardon my bad English; it is almost midnight and I just arrived home from a huge audition and a family Christmas party.

Hey William! Glad to see such dedication and fervor in your post. As an aspiring trombonist myself, I can totally relate to what you had to say! I currently attend the Curtis Institute of Music, so I too practice long hours every week. As for orchestral jobs, when I won the upcoming principal opening for the Chicago Symphony, I was informed about the pay. This article is entirely correct, as I’ll be making upwards of $140,000. Best of luck auditioning, with your insanely dedicated practice schedule, I’m positive you’ll win a high paying job!

The pay varies depending on what Orchestra you came from previously. So if you got a Principal Met Opera position without having been in a Major group, you would get a Salary lower than if you were already in a Major group. What could be then negotiated could be time off.
I teach with Philadelphia Orchestra Members.

This article has really opened my eyes to becoming a successful orchestral musician. I am studying to be a full time Cimbasso player. I was planning on moving to Italy to further my studies, but I have been studying at Trinity College for 3 years and was wondering how you think I should further my studies.
I have auditioned at the top summer camps (Tanglewood, Aspen, Music Academy of West) and was rejected and asked to pay the summer camps’ tuition. I know Cimbasso is not used much in music, but when it is it’s cool.
I have been gigging playing jazz cimbasso and I get paid in Stacks, the gravity liquor. It’s pretty cool but it’s not orchestra pay.

Would you suggest me giving up on my dream of being an orchestral cimbasso player?

I too have just returned from a huge family Christmas party, and I have a few questions for you.

1. Do orchestras in Japan (and other countries where Christmas is not celebrated) allow time off for their dedicated musicians to celebrate Christmas with their families?
2. Do high-paying orchestras typically allow for a lot of family time during the season? I spend 6-7 hours a day with my family three times a week, and 2-3 hours four times a week, so you could say I’m pretty dedicated to them.
3. Are the auditions for high-paying orchestras (Germany Philharmonic, Austria Symphony Orchestra, etc.) ever during the holiday season? Around the holidays I typically have a lot of family engagements (Christmas parties, etc.) sometimes going as late as almost midnight. I need to know if these orchestras pay well enough to justify such a hectic schedule.

If you want to win a job you have to study with Josef Holesi. He’s the best tromboner. When I studied with him at the juliard he helped me with the first page of the David. The David is the only solo you need to learn if you want an orchestral career. So don’t waste your time learning anything else between that and Strauss excerpts. Also Sprach is art.